Remembering Norman Maroto

TODAY, we pay tribute to Football Union of Zimbabwe communications officer, Norman Maroto, who passed away in Harare yesterday after a short illness at the age of 40. His death shocked and saddened the local football fraternity, and we mourn the loss of a former great player and an even greater person.

Maroto burst onto the local football scene as a Churchill High schoolboy in Moses Chunga’s famous Kidznet Dynamos side in the early 2000s. Maroto will always be remembered for his love of the game and his incredible skills on the field where he dazzled opponents with his fancy footwork.

He was adored by fans and respected by his peers, who recognised his talent and hard work even after he hung his boots. Maroto will always be remembered with fondness and appreciation.

He may be gone, but his legacy lives on. Thank you, Norman, for all that you gave to football and Zimbabwe.
Quite several sports journalists wrote about Maroto early in his career, and one of the best articles was penned by

Limukani Ncube (now B-Metro Editor). Saturday Chronicle reproduces the story that was published on July 13, 2002, in the Chronicle.

DeMbare’s sensational teenager: Churchill High School student is scoring important goals

Limukani Ncube
THEY come from different corners of the country, some from beyond our borders all have one burning desire and that is to make a name for themselves at once mighty Dynamos.
The popularity of the Glamour Boys is legendary, but few who dream of donning the blue-and-white jersey realise that if you do not deliver, you could end up in football’s scrap heap.

Many players have come and gone at Dynamos and the arrival of Moses Chunga as head coach at the beginning of the season brought with it many changes at the Harare club. Most importantly, players who were thought to be over the hill and could not deliver were dumped. A new-look side of youngsters was assembled and one player who has kept the Glamour Boys on track is Churchill High School student, Norman Maroto.

Very few people talk of Maroto when they talk of Dynamos. The reason is simple. The club does not have a tradition of being led by teenagers.
When fans think of tried and tested players who have left like Tauya Murehwa, Masimba Dinyero, Lloyd Mutasa and

Gift Muzadzi, among others, all with fatherly figures, they think the club is doomed.
However, Maroto has all the answers to their problems.
The Sixth Form student broke into the first team at the end of the last season and hit the headlines with important goals. The team had missed the predatory instincts of the likes of Murehwa, Vitalis Takawira and Makwinji Soma-Phiri but young Maroto has filled that gap.

He is arguably one of the most promising central strikers in the country. His positioning and dribbling skills are a cut above the rest.

When Dynamos lost to Zimbabwe Saints 3-2 in a league match a month ago, the young striker scored a brace and left many people in Bulawayo convinced that he is destined for greater heights.

“That boy is good. Just look at the way he positions himself. I was particularly impressed with the second goal he scored, he made defenders look stupid,” commented Highlanders manager Ernest Sibanda after the match.
Maroto is Dynamos’ leading goal scorer and he shared the Castle Lager top goal scorer prize for June with Saints’ Bester Maguranyanga and AmaZulu forward Norman Komani. The three players finished with four goals each.
Maroto became the second player from Dynamos to win the award after William Chari who topped with five goals in May.

Bulawayo fans have seen perhaps the best goals this season, one of them coming from Maroto and the others from Highlanders’ striker Adam Ndlovu and Maguranyanga surprisingly against Dynamos in the same match Maroto starred.

The young man will be in town today. Dynamos take on Railstars at Luveve Stadium and he is set to explode. The adage that says “dynamite comes in small packages” seems to hold true with Maroto a goal-getter and performer par excellence.

National Under-20 coach Nelson Matongorere gave Maroto his first cap in the juniors’ colours against Lesotho early this year. Although he failed to score, he showed flashes of brilliance and was retained in the squad.
However, he is unlikely to make the trip to Malawi for the second round of the African Youth Championships due to mid-year school examinations.

“Maroto is writing examinations at school and is unlikely to make the trip to Malawi. Education is very important to the players and we don’t want disturb him,” said Young Warriors manager Colly Masuku.

Maroto is part of the new look Dynamos squad that includes star midfielder Eddie Mashiri, Nyasha Chazika, goalkeeper Tendai Tanyanyiwa and dribbling wizard Samson Choruwa.